The Laughing Derby, Louisville

The Laughing Derby serves as a four-walled tribute to comedy, filling its confines with memorabilia as well as belly laughs. The space's stage hosts nationally touring performers and fresh-faced up-and-comers, many of whom have perfected their formulas on late night television or comedy labs' beakers. But while the standups taking the stage represent a wide range of humorous styles, they all have one thing in common: a focus on cleverness that The Laughing Derby values most of all.